Wole Soyinka and Henry Louis Gates, Jr in Conversation || Loyola Marymount University, March 2022

[@silverrainrunningcloud]

I met Wole Soyinka at UMASS/Amherst in 1995 He was magnificent His list of African authors was so foreign to Americans that we became inspired to read and teach more African history and litersture. His book, The Road, was gifted to me by a Professor at a Post-Colonial Conference at Dartmouth in 1991 or 2 so when he came to Massachusettes it was very exciting! What an honor for you all.

[@emekachikawelu5663]

Whenever I hear him speak poetically or read his poems, I always learn something new. Professor Soyinka you are the best !

[@Specialeena]

This is such an inspiring conversation! Watching these two legends, and knowing that one mentored the other, emphasizes just how important our circles are in supporting us as we become our full and true selves!

[@jayattipoe6597]

A month in and not a comment yet! This is startling. Such fine story tellers and I'm the first here? Hurrah Hurrah! I love proff. Gates and Proff Soyinka both for enriching my life with their great contributions to history and culture and to literature above all. Many thanks. .

[@abdulaiibrahim3751]

If not the greatest Nigerian, one of them.

[@adeseghaolusegun3513]

You're a world class professor for a reason don't mind what ibo people say dem no get head

[@african-history-fountain]

Africa's greatest man of letters.

[@olijadu]

And I'm 2nd. My Uncle, Woke Soyinka

[@margiehaynes3006]

❤️🙂🎶

[@adewalemaja-pearce8709]

Wole Soyinka called the would-be cleaner of his Cambridge room a 'racist cow' yet he didn't know her even as she was only trying to do her job. Meanwhile, the enlightened panelists, none of whom I presume have ever had to clean rooms in order to survive, saw fit to laugh.

[@MMUnubi]

...the laughter was not in acceptance of Wole's outburst, instead the events that led to that tipping point and how he chose to let off the emotions that had accumulated from his suppressing his impulse to rebel against many things British including "Churchill's bust". Go few minutes back before that point in the interview to get the context.

[@sheriff58]

Him hurling the epithet "racist cow" at that cleaner could be said to be presumptuous. Notwithstanding, the negrophobic atmosphere in a typical 1970s Caucasian society might have stimulated that presumptuousness. On this basis, Soyinka's outburst could somewhat be excusable.

[@999reader]

Even with the context stated, I think the future poet went over the line. I’m sympathetic to the maid.

[@LeahTVdotcom]

You guys can speak some beautiful fucking English ❤. 🇺🇸🌍✍🏾🔥🎥. 🤣. Leah Tunkara